The admission fees will be $3.80 for adults, $2.80 for students and $10.55 for family entrance.

Admission to the pool in summer has been free until now as part of the council’s Free Swims Program, which for years has given everyone free admission to the council’s outdoor pools in summer months.

The council said the decision to charge a fee, reached in a meeting with police and the YMCA, was to cover the cost of additional security personnel, and Mayor of the Baw Baw Shire Council Diane Blackwood said in a media release today safety was key in the decision.

“While the Drouin Pool is a great place for families and individuals to spend quality time cooling down over summer, it is paramount that we ensure their safety,” Ms Blackwood said.

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The option of permanently changing the pool’s opening hours had been proposed previously.

A spokesperson for the council told The Warragul Citizen behaviour including abuse of staff, swearing, fighting between patrons, smoking, “hoon” and dangerous behaviour was upsetting the community and putting people at risk.

The spokesperson said the offenders were mostly between 12 and 25 years of age.